Overhead cableway skidding and loading equipment



ltlatented et.. ldd.

MERIAN lDCKNSN, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTUN, AND JOSEPH H. DCKJENSON, 01E' 'WlNULIER PARK, FLORD'A., SSlGrNORS T0 LIDGERWOOD MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OIE' NEW YURJK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0l? NEW YUBJK.

VERHEAD @ABLEWAY SKlllDDlfNG AND LOADJENG? EQUXPMENT.

Applicationlel January lll, 1925.

Uur invention more particularly relates to a novel mounting for overhead skidding and loading equipment whereby the same may conveniently and effectively be transported.

t Our invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which we have illustrated one embodiment thereof, and in which the single view is a side elevation.

Referring to the drawing, 1() is a movable support, here illustrated as comprising two platforms 12 and 12 flexibly connected together, and which are preferably alike, each of which is mounted `on logging or special trucks 13, engaging track rails 111. llt will of course be understood that the platforms may beflexibly connected together merely by loweringr the spar or boom, or both, onto ,y the other platform, and without the provi- 20 sion of special connecting means between the platforms, such as illustrated. An additional base or platform 11 for the machine is mounted upon the platform 12 and is provided with suitable supports 15, adapted, r when the machine is in its stationary position, to straddle the track rails 14. llt is to be understood that,in the embodiment illustrated, the base 11 is a part of the log skidding machine and for moving purposes may be lowered on to the platform 12", or it may be supported on stationary blocks and jacks in the same way as shown in patent of l'oseph ltll. Dickinson,`No. 936,425, @et 12, 1909. ln case of a very long spar, the latter will reach beyond the loading` boom and rest at another point on the same member on which the end ofthe loading boom is resting.

Mounted on the platform 12 is a supporting vertical framework 16'of any suitable type and carrying the swinging or pivoted spar 17, the latter being fulcrumed, as at 18, suitable universal trunnionspreferably being provided on the spar for this purpose, which trunnions are preferably the' same as or simir lar to those shown in patent of (l. lll. Dickinson, 936,425, October 12, 1919, whereby the spar has movement in any direction. Wehave illustrated the spar 17 in a diagrammatic manner.` lit will beunderstood that it may be formed of structural steel or otherwise, as desired.` The spar 17 and other movable parts of the machine are illustrated in their operating positions in full lines, and in the positions which they occupy when being lll Serial No. 2,268.

transported in dotted lines. rllhe spar 17 is lllustrated as provided with a tail portion 171, to the end of which is attached one of the blocks 19 of a block and tackle 20, the other block 21 being attached to the platform 11. The free end 22 of the rope for the block and tackle is wound upon a drum 23, which may be operated by an auxiliary or utility engine, indicated generally at 231. We have not illustrated the other cables which are wound on the drums of the utility engine, nor have we, in general, illustrated the cables wound upon the drums of the hoisting engine, illustrated generally at 24;, or those wound upon the drums of the ski dding engine, illustrated generally at 25, as these connections constitute no part of our present invention, and the same are omitted for clarity of both illustration and description. lt will, of course, be understood that when the spar 17 is in its elevated operating position, as illustrated in full lines, the same will be suitably guyed, and a suspended overhead cable is suitably supported at one end on the upper end of the spar. llhe usual cables used in skidding operations will be employedand are wound upon the drums of the skidding engine 25 and pass over sheaves near the top end 172 of the spar.

The loading equipment comprises a loading boom 26, which, in the form illustrated, is mounted on a turntable 27 on the platform 11, so that the loading boom may be swung` horizontally, aswell as vertically. rlFhe loading boom is pivoted at 28 so that the same may be raised and lowered in a vertical plane by a suitable block and tackle 29, through a swinging arm 30, pivoted at 31 on the frame 16. The blocks and tackle 29 comprise a block 311 on the free end of the arm 30 and a block 32 mounted on the frame, t-he free end 33 of the cable for this block and tackle passing over a sheave 3d on the frame and wound upon a drum 85 which, in this ease, is operated by the skidding engine, since the skidding operations are discontinued when the equipment is being prepared for transportation and is actually being transported. rlhe free end of the arm 30 is connected to the end of the loading boom 26 by a suitable supporting cable 36, so that as the free end of the cable 33 is wound upon the drum 35, the arm 30 is raised, thereby raising the boom 26, and when the cable 33 is paid out from the drum'85', the arm 30 and the boomfQG are lowered. 1

When itis required to move platform 11, car 121 ,is moved into place andboom 2G andl spar 17 are loweredand'rest upon car o1-"plat-y form 12. Heretofore the .spar 17 has been lowered as fanas-itfmaybefleavingf-,itsfree end practically unsupported, and under such circumstances,V the free emiioftheiv skidding spar and the free end of the loading boom being unsupported, the center 'of gravity ofthez equipment"V is-'necessarily' highs-and this higli center'of gravitycombined' with the siv'inging'" actionl of the spar andi b'o'om' in-y the? process of" moving; has resulted in thef overturn' of' the' entiremachine;thereby causing serious" accidents# Thisi swinging; action3 istraeeable to curvature" and:4 irregularities' of the track- Ourinve'ntion provides' means forsupporting'-, the pivoted member or members; which, inH this ease, comprisestlte loading boom 'andit'her skiddingf spar, points remote from' theirpi'vota'l'poi'nts and preferably on an auxiliary'V movable platform,- usually adjacent to the| plattform on which' the machine isn'iounted'.'` Inftheformshown, the auxiliary carlf, which` isinth'e-form'ofa flatca'r, isfprovidcdwith s'peei'alj supporting' blocle' 37,` oir' which the'i loading? boom 26iissu'pporte'd at af point'- rei- I'noteA from its kpivotal point-5 and" preferably near? or at theendthereofgas` illustratedfinthe drawing. Intheformsliowir, the-'end of the loading-'boom 28may be' lowered-r directly into .supporting engagement with' the bl'oelrv 355 the san'i'e'sli'dably engaging thesam'e' sothat the supporting: portion of'v the boonr 26? may move: relatively to the block iunder changes in" grade curvature' andi underV irregularities in the track. Preferably the' endof thebo'om Qti'isequipped' withY a plate-'or plates-38,- p'rovided withV aroller 39,' engaging tlie'blockf, so'ast'of provide easy relative movement between: the two.l

In` theI form shown,` the endl-72' of the'spar 17' may be lowered'- into supporting engagem'e'nt' with the boom" 26, so` thaty they loading boom and s'liiddi'ngspar are bothl supported ytransportjed;the'endof the loadingfboom 2G is lowered byfthe blocks and tackle 29linto engagement with the block 37 on the auxiliary car 12; and the end of the spar 17 ist'lienlowered into supporting engagement with the boom by means of the blocks and tackle 20.

By lowering eitherorboth tlieboonrandspnr into supporting' enga'ge`1r1e1'1t \*\itl1'-tllev part of the base remote from tlie pivotall'points,the boomor spar or both are prevented from swinging and', at the sa'n'xe't'in'ie, the center of gravityofthe equipment is lowered, thereby not only relieving the equipment from the strains that would result-,fromthe swinging f of the' boom-and spar,` but minimizing the ytendency ofthe' equipment to-overturn.

By' mounting theboomfor uiiiversal movemei'1t"on"the first platform, the eud of the boom when loweredfinto position on theV seeondpl'a'tform andv inthe positionindicatgxl in dottedli'nes-in the figure, th'eend 'of thciboom easily follows the second platform when going around curves.' Inl the absence of ysuch universal movement, tha t is to'say,ifn the boom were merelypivoted- :for vertical movenwntf,

then: oneofI theft-wo cars supporting Athe boom when going around ar curve would he' overturnedbecauseI of the failure of the boom to move laterally. Similarlyyby mounting the Spa-r on universal'trumnons m the manner illustratedl in thefDi'ckinson patent ahovecre ferred= toythe endi of thespar follows the seeond' platform wit-houty overturning the car or cars 1. In combination; two movable'platforms spacedi fronreaeh other, each being. lmounted on truckswadapted to# engage track rails, u, hoisting boomfmoul'lted for horizontal movement onone-of sa-idfplatforlns and pivotnlly mounted for movement in al vertical plane, and= means for lowering said boomf into supporting engagement with theother plat-ferny ai roller bearing 'being provided between ysaid lioom and saidl other platform. l

2. In' combination@ two spaced movable platforms,l each being mounted on trucks adapted to enga'ge track rails,ahoistingboom. mounted? forY universal movementon the first of said platformsgasupport-ingspnr mountxd on-'trunnions onisaidfirst platformgiand means for lowering the ends-of: the boom :md of the spa-r Vinto positionto be supportedP by the second platform, a1 roller' bearingbeing. provided between said' booml and said. second platform and between said spar and said boomf when inV lowered positions.'-

3;- Tn combinationi-a first andra second movable' device spaced from/each'- other, n boom mounted for universal movement on the first of saiddevieesi-a. sparmounted for movement infra verticalplane onithevfirst'o saiddevices, the' supports for said boom andspar being spaced from/each otllelxandmeans for lowering said boom a'n'dsaid spur intosupporting engage-ment with! said second dev-ieo- In combinations a first and asecond movable device spaced from each other, a

llo

Leeaeii boom mounted for universal movement on the first of said devices, a spar mounted for movement in a vertical plane on the first of said devices, the supports vfor said boom and spar being spaced from each other, and separate means for lowering said boom and said spar into supporting engagement with said second device.

5. lin combination, a first and a second movable device spaced from each other, each p being mounted on trucks adapted to engage track rails, a hoisting boom mounted for universal movement on the first of said devices, a. supporting spar mounted on said first device for movement in a vertical plane, means for lowering the end of the boom into support` ing engagement with the second device, and means forlowering the end of the spar into position to be supported by the end of the boom7 a member being provided between the boom and the spar when in lowered position fior permitting relative movement between the same.

6. lin combination, a first and a second movable device spaced from each other, each being mounted on trucks adapted to engage track rails, a hoisting boom mounted for universal movement on the first of said devices, a supporting spar mounted on said rst device and having lnovement in a vertical plane, and means for lowering the ends of the boom and of the spar into position to be supported by the second device, members being provided between said boom and said second device and between said spar and said boom for permitting relative movement between the boom and the second device, and between the spar and the boom when they are in lowered position.

7. ln combination, two spaced movable platforms, each being mounted on trucks adapted to engage track rails, a hoisting` boom mounted for universal movement on the rst of said platforms, a supporting spar mounted on trunnions on said first platform, means for lowering the ends of the boom and of the spar into position to be supported by the second platform, and means for supporting the ends of said boom and said spar on said second platform.

MEWRAN l-l. DICKlNSON. JSEPH lf-l. lDlCKINSON. 

